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$108 million spent on firefighting so far this fiscal year

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California finance department spokesman HD Palmer told KPCC's Larry Mantle that there's enough money in the budget to cover the $108 million spent on emergency firefighting costs so far this fiscal year. Palmer said that Governor Schwarzenegger more than doubled the amount of emergency firefighting money in this year's budget.

He added, "We’re pleased that we’ve been able to do that in this fiscal environment, but obviously with just eight weeks into the fiscal year we’ve already literally and figuratively burned through a good chunk of that." If the federal government declares the Station Fire or other local fires as emergency areas, they will reimburse California 75 percent of the firefighting costs, but Palmer says that it will take time to recoup that money.